Domain Mapping on Dreamhost

I'm trying to map a site and have had plenty of help from support but for some reason we can't get it working. I have the site mapped correctly a la support here but they claim that I have to have a unique IP, which isn't a static IP it's just unique. I don't want to get that feature at an extra cost if need be. Does anyone know anything about these problems? Right now I just get a page that says the website is almost there. Thanks for the help.

Comments 30

If they offer you a Control Panel (usually cPanel), and if it offers you the option of Add-On Domains (that's the name on cPanel, other Control Panels may differ), then you have to add there all domain(s) you want to map into your WordPress, pointing to the very same directory of your WP Install.

You should also install any SSL Certificates there, before trying to have HTTPS working on your mapped domains. After all the server-side setup (add Domains and SSL Certificates covering them) your Domain Mapping should work as expected. The trick here is server-side.

SSL it's pretty much activate and it works. If you have issues with the Domain Mapping Plugin, go to the WPMU DEV Support Area, click on the "Get Support" button, then "Technical Support" and then "Live Chat". So someone of the Support Staff will help you with the plugin.

I've been using cPanel for a few years before moving to Cloudways (where I host now). As long as you have one WordPress working there, and the Add-On Domains option on your cPanel is properly configured (pointing to the same directory - public_html or so - where your WordPress is installed), it should work.

Every domain you'll be mapping must have its DNS pointing to your DNS Nameservers (I use DNS Made Easy for DNS Service). This will be probably attached to your cPanel (ns1.yourhosting.tld, ns2.yourhosting.tld, and so on).

If you host there and doesn't know that... Who am I to know? If you have a Control Panel at http://yourdomain.tld/cpanel it's probably all there. I've never hosted with Dreamhost so I'm not really sure if they use cPanel. If you've already added Add-On Domains and SSL Certificates this was probably made on your cPanel.

In my experience It is a problem with your DH Webhost association. I had a similar problem with BH that has lasted for years as I knew nothing about WP let alone DNS ? Yes they will offer extra functions on your Cpanel such as Multiple domains, domain mapping etc but when you are going to use these functionalities they do not work.
Unfortunately there is no such think as 'one solution fits all'; a lot depends on needs and budgets and therefore on what one is able to afford.
I certainly wouldn't refer anyone to these major Webservers except if one is just learning and with no business creation in mind.
Hope this helps.

They actually work, but you'll need to get support (usually horrible) and cPanel is something that needs a deep human & system resources upgrades policy to work properly. As the support is usually much worse than the sales department, we get stuck and move on.

After looking for more than 1 year for a solution that I could manage, I've discovered Cloudways, that for my (tiny) level of Server Operations it's just perfect. Their support is really above the usual on any hosting I've ever discovered, and offer a very good general package.

In domain panel of http://network.com, you have set a nameserver for your domain, we assume that is ns1.dreamhost.com and ns2.dreamhost.com

Now go to http://subsite.com domain panel, and set the same nameservers ns1.dreamhost.com and ns2.dreamhost.com

Go to cPanel of http://network.com, create an addon domain or parked domain and add http://subsite.com as addon or parked domain. And when you do so, make sure you point to the same directory as same as http://network.com. Mostly it is public_html but may vary on your server.

In domain panel of http://network.com, you have set a nameserver for your domain, we assume that is ns1.dreamhost.com and ns2.dreamhost.com

Now go to http://subsite.com domain panel, and set the same nameservers ns1.dreamhost.com and ns2.dreamhost.com

Got this part no problem. It's taken care of.

Go to cPanel of http://network.com, create an addon domain or parked domain and add http://subsite.com as addon or parked domain. And when you do so, make sure you point to the same directory as same as http://network.com. Mostly it is public_html but may vary on your server.

This is where I'm losing it.https://imgur.com/andzugN
When you say create an add-on domain- I keep hearing "create a new domain". I don't know how to make an add-on domain unless I'm doing it correct. The only other option I see is to remap a sub dir. Could it be that I need to do?
In terms of folders I just have to drop in the bwcreate.com to point to and it automatically hits the correct folder.

So here is what we have. They don't have "cPanel" it's all straight FTP or what they have on their backend. which you have a small peek at. I can show you whatever you'd like on backend of dreamhost if you'd like. just let me know.

Currently, I am seeing the site is loading with a website. Is this correct subsite?

If this is not correct and if you want I can take a look. Would you please send me your admin login and DH login details? Your support seems expired.

You can send me privately in the following format:
1. Please go to https://premium.wpmudev.org/contact/#i-have-a-different-question
2. Select "I have a different question" if not selected
3. In subject line put "Attn-Ash" (this will ensure that the email is assigned to me)
4. Provide the wanted details.
5. Add the thread link in the message so that I can track.

This is the original site that I was trying to move. I had to set it back to it's original hosting so that it would populate since it's a friends site that pays for their own hosting on my account. I am going to try it with a different domain and will be doing so today. I started to setup everything yesterday but haven't finished, I will definitely get back to you on this hopefully later today.

One thing that I do remember that is kind of odd is the DNS now that I remember it. Maybe you can shed some light on these details.

I remember when putting in the domain mapping it said something about pointing with an "A" record to a different IP. In this case I'm going to use examples and you can help me understand in theories.

network IP - X.X.X.7
pawpawhops IP - X.X.X.229

When putting in the domain mapping it says you should point an "A" to "network IP". In this case the first thing that I tried was to create another A Record but in that instance the domain was then pointing to two different IPs as I couldn't change the main A record as per DH.

The A record for domain mapping work ONLY IF the IP is a dedicated IP AND if the IP points to the main site. That means, when you enter the IP in the browser, the network site should load. Only then, the mapped domain with DNS A record will work, otherwise not.

If you point to a different IP, then there is no way it will work even if the network IP is dedicated.

As you are trying with a new domain, please make sure about that. You don't need to play with A records as long you can set nameservers. Setting nameservers is pretty easy and straightforward. So, just set the nameserver and add the domain on the same hosting. Add the domain in Dashboard > Tools > Domain Mapping and it should start working when domain propagation is done :slight_smile:

That definitely works. I am sorry, I didn't realize that you might not be aware of that. This is default behavior of wordpress multisite. But Domain Mapping plugin gives you some extended features like adding multiple domains, making a domain as default domain, forcing http or https, make admin to original url and front end to mapped url, exclude some pages to not using mapped domain and more.

But I am glad that you find a workaround :slight_smile: Have a nice day!

Yes, you can use as many domains as you want using our domain mapping plugin. You just need to allow adding multiple domains from Network Admin > Settings > Domain Mapping. And then you can add more than one domains in subsite dashboard for a single subsite.

Hope it helps! Please feel free to ask more questions if you have any.

Thanks for all the help. I appreciate it, hopefully someone can figure this out easier than I and just comes down to the bottom.

As for your questions I'm not sure I understand what you mean. It seems to work very easily and mask everything correctly. One thing I have to get used to is the directory to login for the subs isn't just /wp-admin - you have to use the actual full directory.

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